The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #113596 Message #2418981
Posted By: Phil Edwards
20-Aug-08 - 06:04 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Singer's Request / Minstrel's Request
Subject: Lyr Add: THE SINGER'S REQUEST (Nic Jones)
It's on From the devil to a stranger, so not available as such (unless there's another version on one of the 'recovered' albums). Thanks to a friendly 'catter, I've got a tape. The lyrics I'm hearing are:
THE SINGER'S REQUEST
(Nic Jones)
Dark the night and long till day
Do not bid us further stray
Dark the night and long till day
Do not bid us further stray
Now the sun it does decline
Pour the beer and pour the wine,
Let us lead your thoughts astray
From the world and from the day
Dark the night and long till day
Do not bid us further stray
We bring songs from history,
Love and war and mystery
We can lead you from despair
Or can chill the darkening air
Dark the night and long till day
Do not bid us further stray
And you can choose to pass us by
With a cruel or scornful eye
We shall see the ending through,
Then we'll turn and say to you:
Dark the night and long till day
Do not bid us further stray
Dark the night and long till day
Do not bid us further stray
It's a fine reworking. I particularly like the way 'lull the heir' gets merged with the bit about goblins and comes out as 'chill the darkening air'.